Girls and Boys toy labels on the way out – survey results

December 16, 2016

Our survey of toy stores and websites has found ‘girls toys’ and ‘boys toys’ signs and website navigation options are on the way out. But what more do retailers need to do to allow children to choose their interests for themselves?

Big changes in store signage

Our Let Toys Be Toys mystery shoppers looked at stores across the UK to see how toys were presented. We’re delighted that they saw only two stores using ‘Boys Toys’ and ‘Girls Toys’ signs – both Tesco stores. Tesco no longer use these signs, so we can hope to see these gone soon too.

Commonplace in 2012, signs like this have almost completely disappeared.

We’ve gone from 50% of the shops we visited in 2012 having these signs to virtually none.

Gendered navigation disappearing from websites

Only a fifth (21%) of stores reviewed used gender at all as a way to sort and sell toys online, compared with 46% in 2014, 49% in 2013 and 76% in 2012. This is a drop of over 70% since 2012.

The Disney Store used to have ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ categories for toys. Now, its gift picker has inclusive pictures and doesn’t rely on gender as a guide to children’s interests.

Who’s dropped gender navigation since 2014?

Toys R Us, Disney Store and Hut have dropped the option to filter toys by gender.

GALT Toys have renamed the ‘Girls Club’ section, ‘Fashion Club’.

John Lewis, WHSmith and The Hut have dropped ‘Gifts for girls’ and ‘Gifts for boys’ links.

Playmobil and Lego have stopped organising their sub-brands (eg Ninjago, Friends or CityLife, Knights) by gender.

Debenhams, Poundland and B&M Homestores used to have prominent ‘Boys’ and ‘Girls’ category pages, and these are now gone.

What else can retailers do?

‘Boys’ and ‘girls’ signage may be on its way out, which is really great news. But it doesn’t mean that children don’t see ‘girl’ and ‘boy’ sections any more.

Store layouts

Taking ‘Boys’ and ‘Girls’ toys off signs is a good start, but retailers need to do more

Many of our survey respondents mentioned the colour pink as a way that stores continue to tell children that there is a ‘girls’ section’, either by using pink signage or flooring (such as Morrisons or The Entertainer) or by grouping toys together in a de facto ‘Girls aisle’ (such as Smyths, which puts Lego Friends and play kitchens with dolls under ‘Fashion and Baby dolls’).

We’d like to see toys grouped by theme or function – such as a ‘home’ section for cooking and DIY role play, or a ‘construction’ section which includes Lego Friends, and for dressing up outfits to be stored together rather than in separate ‘princess/fairy’ and ‘everything else’ sections.

Catalogues

Tesco’s own photography contrasts strongly with the images of children with Nerf products in catalogue pages – all boys

As our research shows, some catalogues still group toys by gender instead of by type, and the manufacturers’ promotional imagery shows children’s play in very stereotypical ways. Children pick up on subtle clues about whether a toy is aimed at them, and the groupings of toys as well as the images used play a strong role.

Websites

There are significant improvements in store websites, which is positive news for families who shop online with their children. Those retailers who still use ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ sections or filters risk going against the trend if this isn’t updated in 2017. Shoppers frequently speak of their frustration at having to search two separate sections rather than searching by toy type.

ELC was the only retailer to show images of boys with dolls or dolls’ houses in its catalogue, but also one of a minority sorting toys by gender online. This means that toys pictured with boys actually disappear when the ‘boys’ filter is applied.

Internal processes

Most retailers commit to an inclusive work environment, but diversity and equality training doesn’t always reach everyone on the shop floor. If, despite dropping explicit signage, staff still think in terms of ‘boys toys’ and ‘girls toys’, whether by having separate buyers or by referring to toys in this way internally, this will show up in how toys are displayed and marketed. If inclusion isn’t taken seriously, it will always end up showing on the shop floor.